On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Belgium Women’s national team pulled off a shock upset. They beat their English rivals in a rollercoaster of a tie in the UEFA Women’s Nations League Group A3. The game was played at Den Dreef stadium in Heverlee, one of the most affordable and favorite stadiums to host matches in high-level football.
Kickoff occurred at 4:30 PM and attracted significant attention, being broadcast live on television and made available for streaming online. Both sides had plenty of hype surrounding them going into this match, but the result shocked many fans, bloggers and commentators all at once.
Den Dreef Stadium: A Historic Venue
Den Dreef has a history of being a well-respected football venue in Belgium. With a more than 33,000-seat capacity, it often fills up for a raucous home-field advantage during league matches. The stadium had a reputation for strongly hosting important English national fixtures. This helped create some real buzz around the much-anticipated clash of Belgium Women against England Women.
Through the years, Den Dreef has earned a reputation as a center for important sporting events. That makes it the perfect setting for this most fiercely competitive Nations League match. Its ease of access and team friendly amenities have helped make it a favorite home base for teams and fans.
Match Overview
The match between two powerhouse national teams battling for supremacy in the UEFA Women’s Nations League couldn’t have been better primed. England came to the semifinal with perhaps the most talented roster, but Belgium had become a dark horse of their own. The game unfolded with Belgium taking an early lead, leaving the English players scrambling to regain control.
Leah Williamson, an England centre back, summarized her side’s play perfectly when she said,
“We started too slow and they didn’t. You expect it after the other day.”
This comment underscored how the game had unexpectedly turned. England had their worst game of the tournament by far, never able to establish any rhythm against a focused Belgian team.
Implications of the Defeat
The manner of their defeat has led to worries over England’s preparedness and approach as they progress into the semi-final of the Nations League. Even when most people had written off the match as a landslide win for England, the pendulum swung the other way. An unnamed source from the England camp commented on the situation, expressing:
“We expected this, we were prepared for a different game. We have been here before and were missing some players. We knew it would be the case.”
Given how things stand for the team today, a reconsideration is warranted. If England want to go deep in the tournament, they need to do better on creative approach.
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